Research Radio Ep 19: Can Hospitals Play a Role in Preventing Domestic Violence?

In this episode, we speak to Poonam Kathuria and Jasoda Rana about preventing domestic violence.

The strict lockdown announced last March was followed by an increase in violence against women and girls by cis-men, and particularly violence in the ostensibly sacred and safe space of the home. Today we’ll ask—how can domestic violence be prevented?
Poonam Kathuria and Jasoda Rana join us on Research Radio to discuss their efforts to support survivors. Jasoda Rana is a counselor with Violence Prevention and Support cell, at the Community Health and Referral hospital, in Radhanpur, Gujarat. She works with survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. Poonam Kathuria is the founder-director of the Society for Women's Action and Training Initiatives-SWATI. Poonam has over 25 years of experience in a leadership role working for the prevention of gender-based violence, women’s empowerment, and leadership. The public health system is supposed to provide girls and women with care and rehabilitation, besides documenting and providing evidence of the violence. We’ll explore how this system can be improved based on SWATI's article “Making Rural Healthcare System Responsive to Domestic Violence: Notes from Patan in Gujarat” (outside the paywall).